Makeup for Activists — Beauty as Resistance, CV Dazzle & Practical Magick for the March

Makeup has always been more than vanity.
It’s identity. It’s ritual. It’s rebellion.

For activists, protestors, and anyone who dares to show up for what’s right, makeup becomes armour, a way to protect, empower, and express even when the world feels heavy with injustice.

What is CV Dazzle?

CV Dazzle (short for Computer Vision Dazzle) is a style of makeup and hair design created to disrupt facial recognition technology.
It uses bold geometric shapes, contrasting colours, and asymmetry to confuse the algorithms that rely on symmetry and pattern recognition.

Originally inspired by World War I “dazzle camouflage,” it isn’t about invisibility, it’s about refusing to conform to systems of control.Think jagged contour lines across one side of the face, heavy blocks of colour where a highlight might normally sit, and abstract patterns that make no visual sense to a computer but speak volumes to the human eye.

It’s art. It’s protest. It’s visibility on your own terms.

Makeup as Protection & Power

While CV Dazzle makeup is one form of resistance, beauty rituals can serve many roles in activism:

Empowerment: Before facing the crowd, ritual makeup can be grounding, eyeliner like war paint, lipstick as sigil, each stroke a reminder of purpose.

Expression: Activism thrives on creativity. Makeup tells the story that slogans can’t.

Solidarity: Matching colours or symbols unify voices, giving visual power to collective action.

Practical Tips for Attending a peaceful gathering.

Whether you’re attending a peaceful rally or a silent vigil, preparation is magick in motion. Here’s how to protect your energy and yourself:

🖤 No phones if possible or keep them switched off and stored safely. Devices can track location data even when idle.

🖤 Cover identifiable tattoos if privacy is important. Bandages, clothing layers, or makeup can help maintain anonymity in images.

🖤 Avoid contact lenses or mascara if there’s a risk of tear gas  plain glasses offer better protection.

🖤 Dress for comfort and mobility. This is not the time for glam heels, good boots and layered clothing are your best allies.

🖤 Bring essentials only: water, snacks, emergency contact info, and a small first-aid kit.

🖤 Know your rights. Familiarise yourself with local protest laws and legal aid contacts  knowledge is its own kind of shield.

🖤 Go with a buddy. Always safer, stronger, and more grounding.

🖤 Stay aware, stay kind. The most powerful energy in any movement is empathy.

Beauty as Defiance

To paint your face is to claim your space. To walk in protest is to move the spell from mirror to street.

Whether you wear CV Dazzle, a red slash of lipstick, or a bare, unpainted face the act is the same, a declaration that you exist, that you care, and that you refuse to look away.

Beauty has always been political and when you choose compassion over cruelty, justice over silence, and visibility over fear that’s the most powerful kind of magick there is.

🕯️ Stay safe. Stay brave. Stay bewitching.